Birds of Windermere
What has actually been seen around Windermere: 138 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 138 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 10,765 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 120 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.2 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Windermere
138 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Windermere (Cumbria) since 2010, across 10,765 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Mallard and Canada Goose.
Windermere is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Robin, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in April and are lowest in January — about 3.9 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and winter visitors), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.
Staveley, 6 km to the east, has fewer species on record (104 against 138). Birds logged far more often around Windermere than there include Canada Goose, Black-headed Gull, Mute Swan and Rock Pigeon.
Daylight runs from 17 h 14 min at midsummer to 7 h 18 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Windermere
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 563 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 508 |
| 3 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 497 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 455 |
| 5 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 414 |
| 6 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 413 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 398 |
| 8 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 381 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 372 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 361 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 266 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 261 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 246 |
| 14 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 222 |
| 15 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 210 |
| 16 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 208 |
| 17 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 191 |
| 18 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 186 |
| 19 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 181 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 177 |
Records by month
What to put out in Windermere
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Cumbria
What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for UK gardens. One email a month at most.
Nearby places
Frequently asked
What birds visit gardens in Windermere?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Windermere are Jackdaw, Robin, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Blackbird, based on 10,765 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Windermere?
138 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Windermere?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.